Bach Mã Temple

Look to your right: behind this modest façade on Hang Buom Street is Bach Ma Temple, considered the oldest temple in Hanoi. It is dedicated to Long Do, a local deity honored as the protector of the old citadel of Thăng Long, and its name comes from the famous Legend of the White Horse. In 1010, King Lý Thái Tổ struggled to secure the walls of his new capital when a white horse appeared at the temple and traced a path across the ground. Following the horse’s tracks, he was able to build the citadel, which became Thăng Long, today’s Hanoi. Because of its protective role, Bach Ma is one of the Thăng Long Tu Tran, the four sacred temples guarding the city’s cardinal points. Inside, notice the red-and-gold lacquered woodwork, calligraphy panels, bronze ritual objects, and altars dedicated to Long Do and the White Horse, all symbols of protection and guidance. The traditional wooden architecture and the distinctive roof, often described as a crab shell, reflect restorations carried out between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, especially under the Nguyen dynasty. Bach Ma Temple was named a National Historical Relic in 1986 and a Special National Monument in 2022. It remains an active place of worship: in the early morning or late afternoon, you may see devotees coming to pray for protection, success, or good luck for the year ahead.